Thinning machine



THINNING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

. KIM/(la A TTORNEYS.

tables.

Patented Feb. 1, 192"?a f; fiTATES PATENT THINKING MACHINE.

Application filed October 20, 1925, Serial No. 63,752, and in SwedenNovember 3, 1924.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines forthinning plants of such character as are planted in rows as for instancebeets or similar vege- One object of this invention is to provide meansfor a commodious and eiiicient thinning of such plants. Another objectof this inventionis to provide means by which difi'erent kinds of plantscan be thinned.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for a commodiousthinning of the plants, so that the groups of the retained plants may begiven a desired extension.

Another object of the invention is to protect the cutting implement fromdamage when meeting hard objects in the earth.

Further objects of the invention may be clearly understood by thefollowing description.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction,arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and ascertained in claims, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which: I

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device. Figure 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Figure 3 is a square-section thereof on line A--A inFigure 1. Figure 4; is a longitudinal section on line BB in Figure 3.Figures 5 5. 5 are somevarious modifications of the cutting implement.

Referring more specifically to the drawing the machine is shown ascomprising a body portion or frame 1 built up of angleor channel barsand supporting the other parts of the machinef The frame comprises acentre bar 2 and on the one side an extension 3 from the end of which arearwards bent cross bar t goes to the opposite side bar of the frameand is fastened therewith by a hook 100 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8.The rear-end of the cross bar 4 is deflected downwardly and providedwith a plurality sitions laterally as well as vertically to secure agood travel of the machine when pulled by an animal or a man.

From the rear of the frame 1 there project two handle bars 6, which aresomewhat displaced to the left, so that the man in charge can walk onthe side of the row to be thinned. The handle bars 6 are provided withtie rods 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The machine is supported by onetravelling wheel 7, that also drives a cutting implement and for thatpurpose is provided on its rim with ribs or similar projections toprevent the wheel from slipping in the ground while operative. Thetravelling wheel 7 is mount- 79 ed on a main axle 8, journaled inbearings 700 in the centre bar 2 as well as in the one side bar of theframe, so that the wheel 7 can be laterally displaced on the axle 8 andadjusted to a suitable distance apart from i the row being thinned. Onthe end of the axle 8 opposite to that, where the wheel 7 is mounted,there is a toothed bevel gear 9 attached to the axle 8, which mesheswith a toothed bevel wheel 22, that is fixed on a shaft 10, which issomewhat inclined towards the vertical longitudinal plane through themachine. At the lower end of the shaft 1.0 the rotary cutting implementis attached. This implement comprises a hub 11 with radially projectingarms 12, the outer end of each arm being deflected downwardly andsupports a knife 13 made of a thin steel plate. The knives 13 are givena segmental form, the edges of them con 99 stituting parts of a commoncircular line, the centre of which lies in the centre of shaft 10 andwhich circle line has its plane inclined some 9 to 10 degrees to thehorizontal plane as shown in Figure 3, which inclination depends on theinclination of the shaft 10. By this inclined position of the shaft 10the knife 13 which for the moment is nearest to the travelling wheel 7,will cut down about one inch 1% into the earth, when the shaft 10becomes revolved by the bevel gears 9, 22. The upper end of the shaft 10by means of a collar 110 is supported by a bent bar 19, fastenedobliquely between the adjacent side bar of the frame 1 and the centrebar 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Between the hub 11 and bevel wheel 22the shaft 10 is journaled in a bearing 20, supported by two parallel andbent irons 21, which are fixed by means of bolts to the same parts ofthe frame as is the bar 19. The" bevel wheel 22 is situated closelyabove the bearing so that the bearing 20 can take up the thrust fromsaid bevel wheel. The hub 11 is made of cast iron, and is adjustablyfixed upon the shaft 10 by means of a set screw 23, for the purposetouse the cutting im lement on any desired depth thinning drilled plantsas well as on plain ground.

The cutting implement can be provided with various numbers of knives 13,the cutting. width of which can be varied also, so that the distancebetween the plants or groups of plants left can be chosen in accordancewith the kinds of plants. This is clearly to be seen in Figs. 1, 5 5 and5-. The machine shown in Fig. 1 is provided with six knives 13 and issuited for Swedes with a distance between the retained plants of someten inches. The cutting implement in Fig. 5 with seven knives is to beused for: rapes, the implement in Fig. 5 with eight knives for beets andthe other implement in Fig. 5 with twelve knives for carrots. Thedistances between the retained plants will be respectively some eight,seven and five inches. The distance between two consecutive knives maybe nearly the same for all kinds of plants with some two or threeinches, which distance consequently is the length of the retained groupsof plants.

In the practice it is the most convenient to have a special cuttingimplement for each kind of plants.

A sledge---about inch thick and one inch broadis provided and adapted toslide along. the side of the plant row on a depth of about inch into theearth. The knives 13 operate against this-sledge passing below the sameas shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The front end of the sledge is bent upwardsand bolted to a supporting member 2a. which is carried by two narrowiron rods 26. These rods are movable vertically through holes in twosupports 27, which are fastened at the centre bar 2 and shaped as bestshown in Figs. 3 and 4. The rear rod 26 slides also through a lowersupport 28 an d the front rod 26 through the front member of the frame 1as clearly to be seen in Fig. 4:. The rods 26 are provided with spiralsprings 29. which slightly force the sledge 25 downwards against theearth and the knives 13, so that the knives and the sledge 25 cooperatelike a shear, through which the plants will be cutslight- 1y beneath theground. On account of the flexibility of the sledge 2-5 it will bepossible for small objects to pass by between the sledge and the knivesin order to save the machine from damage when meeting some hard objectsin the ground.

designates a vertically disposed protecting plate. movably carried atits forward end by a downwardly deflected support 31, at-

tached to the front portion of the frame 1. The rear end of the plate 30is supported by a spring actuated rod 33 sliding through a hole in aguide 34 and in the support The plate 30 consequently can move up anddown for the purpose to protect the knives ll 'during their operation,preventing earth and out parts of the plants from adhering to therevolving knives 13". At the right hand side of the machine there is asledge 14', consisting of a curved flat bar, which. is movably boltedtothe frame 1 and to an arm 15, which is provided with a plurality ofholes 150, by which the arm- 15 and sledge 1 1 can be locked in variousheiglits by a flexible pin 17. The lower end of the arm- 15 slides inahole in its holder 180 and the middle part of the arm slides ir a guide16 attached to the frame 1. The lower portion of the arm 15 issurrounded by a strong spiral spring 18, which acts against the holder180 and serves as a flexible support for the machine to reduce shocks,secure a uniform travelling and-adjust the op erative depth for thecutting knives 13.

Inuse the revolving of the travelling wheel 7 is transmittedby means ofthe main axle 8. the bevel-gears 9, 22' and the shaft 10 to the cuttingimplement, the same being rotated in such a manner, that eachklnif'e' incooperation with the sledge 25 at everyrevolution of the cuttingimplement cuts away a part of the plant row corresponding. to the widthof the knife, so that plants or small groups of plants remain on regulardistance from each other. The protecting plate 30 prevents thereby theearthand the plants already cut from adhering to the revolving knives.

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable ofconsiderable modification without departing from the principleof myinvention. 7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1 In a machine of the class described in combination, a frame, a rotarymain axle journaled inbearings in said frame. a travelling wheel on themain axle supporting said frame, ashaft inclined towards the verticalline and operated by said main axle through toothed gears and rotatablysupported by said frame, a cutting implement slidably mounted in saidinclined shaft and held in position by locking means so as to revolvewith said inclined shaft, and a base member cooperative with saidcutting member like a shear.

2. In a machine of the class described in combination, a frame, a rotarymain axle supporting said frame, and carried by a travelling wheel, acutting implement mounted on a rotatable inclined shaft operated by saidmain axle through toothed gears, said implement comprising a hub with aplurality of radially projecting arms, the said base member beingflexible and provided free end of each arm provided with a knife, toslip on the ground yieldingly supported the edges of said knives formingparts of a by the frame of the machine and spring load- 10 common circleinclined towards the horizoned in direction towards the ground.

tap plane and with its center on the cen- In testimony whereof I haveafiixed my ter line of said inclined shaft, a base memsignature.

ber cooperating with said knives like shears, HUGO J. V. KLOO.

